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Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson, front right, battles with Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) for a loose ball as Suns forward Jared Dudley, back right, watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson, front right, battles with Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) for a loose ball as Suns forward Jared Dudley, back right, watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Suns' Josh Jackson Weighs in on Ben Simmons: 'By Definition' He's a Rookie

Timothy RappMay 22, 2018

Is Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons a rookie?ย 

As the (somewhat silly) debate rages on, Phoenix Suns rookie forward Josh Jackson weighed in.

"Yes, being around the league, in the league for a year, sitting out and then playing the next year, I think that does absolutely give you an advantage," Jackson said on the Scoop B Radio Podcast (h/t Brandon Robinson of BasketballSocietyOnline.com). "But by definition, youโ€™re still a rookie. I don't really see anything wrong with it."

Simmons, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were all named as finalists for the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award, and Mitchellย has maintainedย that Simmons shouldn't be considered a rookie since he was drafted in 2016 but missed that season due to injury.

Of course, by that logic players like David Robinson or Blake Griffin shouldn't have been named Rookies of the Year either, since neither player appeared on the court in the year they were drafted. So folks on the "Simmons isn't a rookie" side aren't gonna win this debate (though if Mitchell is named Rookie of the Year, they probably won't care).

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